[Six Nations 2018] Round 1: Italy Vs England (04/02/2018)

[Which Tyler]

England's 36 man squad for the match itself announced - some changes from the training squad due to injuries

1. Mako Vunipola, Joe Marler, Alec Hepburn, Lewis Boyce
2. Jamie George, Dylan Hartley, Tom Dunn
3. Dan Cole, Henry Thomas, Harry Williams
4. Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes
5. George Kruis, Joe Launchbury, Nick Isiekwe
6. Chris Robshaw, James Haskell,
7. Sam Underhill, Gary Graham
8. Sam Simmonds, Zach Mercer

9. Ben Youngs, Danny Care
10. George Ford, Marcus Smith*
11. Jack Nowell, Nathan Earle
12. Owen Farrell, Alex Lozowski
13. Jonathan Joseph, Ben Te'o
14. Jonny May, Denny Solomona
15. Mike Brown, Anthony Watson, Harry Mallinder


I really hope that HarryM, Joe Marler and Haskell are just there to give Harry some one-on-one tackling lessons. Tackle Hask, get up and tackler Marler, get up and tackler Hask, get up and tackler Marler.
Analyse where you fucked up, and go again... All day

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

England's 36 man squad for the match itself announced - some changes from the training squad due to injuries

1. Mako Vunipola, Joe Marler, Alec Hepburn, Lewis Boyce
2. Jamie George, Dylan Hartley, Tom Dunn
3. Dan Cole, Henry Thomas, Harry Williams
4. Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes
5. George Kruis, Joe Launchbury, Nick Isiekwe
6. Chris Robshaw, James Haskell,
7. Sam Underhill, Gary Graham
8. Sam Simmonds, Zach Mercer

9. Ben Youngs, Danny Care
10. George Ford, Marcus Smith*
11. Jack Nowell, Nathan Earle
12. Owen Farrell, Alex Lozowski
13. Jonathan Joseph, Ben Te'o
14. Jonny May, Denny Solomona
15. Mike Brown, Anthony Watson, Harry Mallinder


I really hope that HarryM, Joe Marler and Haskell are just there to give Harry some one-on-one tackling lessons. Tackle Hask, get up and tackler Marler, get up and tackler Hask, get up and tackler Marler.
Analyse where you fucked up, and go again... All day

I'm feeling increasingly uneasy about this tournament.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I'm feeling increasingly uneasy about this tournament.

You'll probably want to hang fire on that unease until week 2!

 

[TommiG88]

Solomona over Earle is disappointing.

Edit: just checked. Earle is in the 36.

 

[Which Tyler]

Solomona over Earle is disappointing.

Edit: just checked. Earle is in the 36.

I chucked him down as a #11

 

[MarkyH]

We can pick a very good 23 out of that bunch. Increasingly confident here

 

[Scotty]

Our back row, robshaw/hask unavailable.

Who maies up our back row,

Underhill,mercer,simmonds,graham and maybe iseikwe is seen as back row (just something i seem to remeber hearing) graham surley not getting in out of them 5.

 

[MarkyH]

Mako, George, Cole
Itoje, Launchbury
Lawes, Underhill, Simmonds

Youngs, Ford, May, Farrell, Joseph, Earle, Watson

 

[Scotty]

Mako, George, Cole
Itoje, Launchbury
Lawes, Underhill, Simmonds

Youngs, Ford, May, Farrell, Joseph, Earle, Watson

Id be happy woth that tbh 19 iseikwe 20 mercer

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Still baffled by some of Jones' choice but we will see how things go. This is realistically the last year to blood new players before the WC and we really should have been looking at finally addressing the remaining weaknesses in the squad now.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'd be very surprised if it's not an Itoje, Underhill, Simmonds back row.
Itoje has been playing 6 for Sarries, whereas Lawes in the second row - EJ has spoken about how he sees Lawes/Itoje as interchangable on the pitch and the number on their back is just a number (as evidenced by Lawes packing down in the 2nd row while in the 6 shirt, and Lawes packing down in the backrow).

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I'd be very surprised if it's not an Itoje, Underhill, Simmonds back row.
Itoje has been playing 6 for Sarries, whereas Lawes in the second row - EJ has spoken about how he sees Lawes/Itoje as interchangable on the pitch and the number on their back is just a number (as evidenced by Lawes packing down in the 2nd row while in the 6 shirt, and Lawes packing down in the backrow).

Surely if that's where they're packing down that's the number they should wear? Can't help feeling that if Itoje's having to do Lawes' work in the scrum as well as the work of a 6 in open play then either Lawes needs to sort his scrummaging and play lock or play as a 6. Itoje's only one man.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Surely if that's where they're packing down that's the number they should wear? Can't help feeling that if Itoje's having to do Lawes' work in the scrum as well as the work of a 6 in open play then either Lawes needs to sort his scrummaging and play lock or play as a 6. Itoje's only one man.

I think he means he sees the 2nd row as flankers rather than tight forwards, so they all do the same job.
It's why he's started calling it the back 5 rather than the traditional front 5.
He spoke about it quite a lot during the AIs how he eventually wanted his 4/5/6 interchangable, which makes sense considering Launch, Kruis, Itoje, Lawes all started out as blindsides.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I think he means he sees the 2nd row as flankers rather than tight forwards, so they all do the same job.
It's why he's started calling it the back 5 rather than the traditional front 5.
He spoke about it quite a lot during the AIs how he eventually wanted his 4/5/6 interchangable, which makes sense considering Launch, Kruis, Itoje, Lawes all started out as blindsides.

I guess in a roundabout way it is his way of dealing with the breakdown problem. Rather than trying to get 1 or 2 dominant breakdown players, share the burden more with the locks in the hope that at least one of them will always be near the breakdown.

 

[MarkyH]

Still baffled by some of Jones' choice but we will see how things go. This is realistically the last year to blood new players before the WC and we really should have been looking at finally addressing the remaining weaknesses in the squad now.

I think this is why we have a lot of pessimism around. I don't think the 23 is that weak despite some major absentees. Its Jones decision not to to pick players like Armand, B Curry, LCD, Ewers & Robson that makes us feel a little negative, and the continuation of players like Hask that we feel shouldn't be above them.

It seems easier to keep you place than it does to get dropped. Saying that, we won 22/23 games. And with a fully fit squad we've got a hell of a lot of depth and youth coming in.

 

[MikeTheNative]

I think this is why we have a lot of pessimism around. I don't think the 23 is that weak despite some major absentees. Its Jones decision not to to pick players like Armand, B Curry, LCD, Ewers & Robson that makes us feel a little negative, and the continuation of players like Hask that we feel shouldn't be above them.

It seems easier to keep you place than it does to get dropped. Saying that, we won 22/23 games. And with a fully fit squad we've got a hell of a lot of depth and youth coming in.

The only place England look weak is the backrow (yes I know there is a few injuries in other places) and that's not because they are average players but inexperienced.

 

[martinspoonboy1]

They are banned aren't they so they can't play anyway.


The only place England look weak is the backrow (yes I know there is a few injuries in other places) and that's not because they are average players but inexperienced.

Exactly. I can guarantee that therr will be atleast one English youngster that will step up and become seemingly indespensible as a result. (My guess is Simmonds). Always the case when injuries happpen. That's why especially for Wales, although some key players are out, they can look at developing beyond the (often out of form) incumbents.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

that's not because they are average players but inexperienced.

 

[MikeTheNative]

 

[Which Tyler]